Ya See, It's Like This...

...you know when you're having such a great vacation that you DO forget to write?

I must be on vacation then. LOL For the first time in a long time, I feel like I really am living my best life. If I had 3 wishes, I would ask for faster weight loss, ability to message board again, and more money (like, I write a best-selling novel, ROFL).

Being that those 3 wishes are likely to happen when pigs fly, perhaps that proves that my best life is indeed gettin' lived. {winkwink}

Anyway, I do know that the mental "I f*d up" cloud has blown away for awhile and every day is unfolding to be a bit better than the one before. It's all gonna be slow, dammit, but I've always been more of a tortoise than a hare.

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What's Eatin' Me?
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Updating on my diet, it's slowly evolving over to more carbs, preferably good ones. I have been trying out something I read, to do a 3-day cycle where you eat limited calories one day, then more the next, then limited again on the 3rd except you have one treat meal, like wise fast food or a restaurant meal. Combined with my walking, it's been both do-able and scale-worthy. I continue to lose consistently, albeit slowly. Looks like I'm gonna be losing only 1-3 pounds a week.

I know, I know. This is normal weight loss, and I am definitely happy to have it. There's also a real good chance that because I started walking, I am building back muscle and that weighs a bit more, and just maybe when that levels off I could lose a little more. Bottom line is, I successfully weaned off Atkins Induction without gaining back! I cannot tell you how relieved I am and happy. This was my 6th time to do Induction, and the first 4 times I put every pound plus more back on afterwards because I did not manage it properly. The 5th time, last year, I goofed up a couple of times and it took 6 months to "keep" the weight loss, but I finally learned how. And this time, I honed it down to a science!

Everyone's body chemistry and metabolism is different, but mine is really set on keeping all this weight. I do best if I find 3-4 different good diets (eating plans) and rotate them. My motivation likes it too. Makes it more interesting. Since DH does the low carb, I end up eating that way for around 50% of what I eat. Because of my various medical issues, I have to add in things like Metamucil and yogurt. There is still no bread in the house, but we do have the carb control tortillas. Now we have no saltines (I love them). I've been missing sandwiches lately and I think that's why I will get a Burker King dollar menu burger every once in a while. I look in the meat drawer and see stuff I should eat, but my first thought is, make a sandwich. Then when I remember no bread, I don't wanna eat it on its own, LOL. So, I usually don't eat.

Yup, that's one way to do it, huh?

I just gave up and baked some healthy muffins. These are great...instant breakfast and a good snack, too. I limit myself to 2 a day, so far so good...

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P.E. Class
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I've just finished my first week using that new pedometer and I am hooked! It's so funny the few times I've forgotten to clip it on and missed recording all those steps, egads! LOL It really does grow on ya and I've been increasing my daily walking faster than I'd planned. In fact, the other night I actually walked around the block for the first time since 2004! Yay! (My lower back L4 and L5 is degenerated and began hurting big time in 2004 to where I couldn't move after walking a measly 1/8 of a mile. So I gradually quit walking.) I probably should not have pushed it quite that far at once, because I was totally wiped out so much I had to take the day off yesterday, but I'm glad I know I can do it. I'll go back to working my way up to being able to do it every day, but I know I can do it now. I actually was afraid I'd never be able to do it again. Even when I would go shopping and have to walk, it has been difficult pain-wise. Maybe maybe it'll get better.

I think it will, cuz Im noticing little things, improvements in my physical fitness. When I bend down, it's easier. When I bend over, it's easier, less fat in the ole' belly, definitely. When I go through a few of the doors in my house (one walk-in closet and our bathroom doors are 24" wide), I have much better balance and navigate them without the usual knocking into one side. I can actually go through without touching. Washing my legs and feet, and twisting around, in the shower is easier. I'm sweating less. My skin is not heat-rashing, and knock wood on that staying that way. I'm sleeping better. I have more energy when I'm awake. And get this, I'm now sleeping at night, naturally, although that can change on a dime depend on what's going on.

In addition to the muscle toning, I think it's also the increased blood flow, my circulation's improved. When you get out of shape, you don't realize what all gets flabby in addition to muscles. Getting in shape involves the lungs, the skin, the nerves, even the mind.

I have bought some great walking shoes at Payless. I was afraid that being no-name brand would mean they were cheap, but so far so good. They are called Casey and they are light as a feather and the heel does not tug and rub on my heel. The cut of the shoe fits great (I have a wide width foot but a narrow heel, totally weird). I almost bought another pair, but they only come in black, and I decided I'd just find me another magic pair once these wear out.

I also broke out some teddy-type tee shirt tops to wear under my sleeveless button-down shirts that have become part of my daily summer heat gear. Yup, layers even for summer, LOL. I really only wear the shirt when I answer the door or run an errand. And of course, I am wearing my pedal-pusher pants. But I may soon need to break out the sewing machine and take them in to continue to wear them. Correct that: I really need to do that now. It's pretty comical actually. You know the clown with his hands in the pockets of his big-ass pants? I can do that with my pants. LOL The only saving grace is a tighter than normal elasticized waistband on them, something that usually felt uncomfortable but now not so much! Yay! I'm rolling the waistband 2-3 times so they will hug me a bit, but I will soon need to make some seam adjustments. Either that or pull out the seersucker plaid pedal-pushers that were always a size too small. (LOL, I like pedal-pushers, I think).

Oh, and I even did some aerobics a couple of times this week. Denise Austin has a show on Lifetime that beginners can follow. I picked up some great exercises for that part of the abdomen called the "C-Section Section" (the lower lower abs). I had thought those muscles were dead and turned to dust, but I've been doing the exercises and those muscles are still there! Almost fainted to know that, thank goodness.

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It's All About Family
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Well, we are all busy around here getting Missy ready to go. Actually she is doing that and coming up with last-minute needs, and we are helping with those. Like needing our 2006 tax return and hers. We always extend, so I'll be doing that this weekend. She found a lady at the local college who does those FAFSA applications for you, and she's gonna go get that done next week. And, we need to transfer her college savings to a new account in my name so I can pay her bills. I still have no idea on that one, guess it doesn't really matter much, but I don't want to research it, how boring. LOL

We had her garage sale last Saturday (had to cancel it from the week before due to rain). She was open for 6 hours and made $300. She was happy. Me, I hate garage sales. If one could be pleasant though, it was. We only had one weirdo show up. He was a fat bearded white guy who thought he was witty and tried to flirt with Missy and play around with her digital camera that no one bought. I was sitting in the garage out of sight, and when I heard his ridiculous banter, I got up and stood there watching him. Hubs also kind of perked up and stared, so I think we might have weirded the guy out, LOL. Anyway, he left. Good riddance.

Right after he did, though, we got a flash rain shower, and it was panic time. Diego was there helping us, so all 4 of us were grabbing what we could and running it back to the garage. The kids of course grabbed the clothes (duh, those can get wet!) and Hubs grabbed the woodworking tools he was selling. I noticed all the electronics, and gathered them up. Then I barked at the kids to go grab all the books. Then it stopped raining, so we got to towel off the tables and put it all back out there. We were all taking naps by 3 p.m., let me tell ya. We were wore out. LOL

Well, there is more to tell, I know, but I'm tired of typing and it's time to go walk some more. Have a great weekend, everybody.